Turkish foreign minister confirms death of FETO leader Gulen

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has confirmed the death in the US of Fethullah Gulen, the leader of the terrorist organisation FETO, which Türkiye has outlawed.

“Our sources in the intelligence services confirm this information. The leader of this dark organisation is dead. We will continue to show our determination in the fight against terrorism. This news will not relax us or lead to complacency,” he said after talks in Ankara with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

He called FETO “a machine that recruits young people and also betrays sacred values.”

“Special services use these people as a weapon against human values. I urge them to abandon this treachery, this path has a bad end,” said Fidan, who headed Türkiye's National Intelligence Organisation for many years.

Earlier, Herkul portal close to Gulen and Turkish TV channels reported about the preacher's death on October 20 in a clinic in the state of Pennsylvania. Gulen, 83, had been living in the United States since 1999. 

Reports indicate that Gulen had been experiencing severe health issues in recent years, including kidney failure, diabetes, and dementia. He was last seen on October 12, 2024, leaving his residence in a car after being evacuated from his farm in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, where he had lived since 1999.

The Fethullah Terrorist Organization, or FETO, is considered an illegal entity that aims to establish a new political, economic, and social order by exploiting religion. The group, led by Gulen, has been linked to various criminal activities, including blackmail, espionage, and money laundering.

By Khagan Isayev